Category Archives: Uncategorized

 The fourth book of the Torah has two names. In Hebrew it is Bamidbar — In the Desert. Historically, of course, that is where it takes place. Its English name is Numbers, and that name describes its subject matter, particularly … Continue reading →

What could the Torah possibly have to say about tattoos?  Quite a bit, actually.  In Torah times, other cultures used tattoos for ceremonial purposes.  A tattoo could proclaim the wearer’s dedication to a pagan deity, and a cut in the … Continue reading →

Here is a subject I don’t usually write about.  But recent national news stories about the L.A. Dodgers and their treatment at the hands of both owner Frank McCourt and commissioner Bud Selig strike me as downright disgusting.Between Selig and … Continue reading →

This week, following all the excitement of Passover, we turn to the section called K’doshim — the holy ones — and read a wide variety of teachings and laws.  All of them, whether sacrificial rites, legal principles, ritual practices or family … Continue reading →

“The life of Sarah was one hundred years, and twenty years, and seven years.”  So says the Book of Genesis.  And the commentators wonder why the arithmetic?  Why not just give the sum — 127 years?  One answer is that … Continue reading →